Interoperability between different computer operating systems is important. For example, interoperability includes the ability to establish communications between two computer systems using two different operating systems. More particularly, certain operating systems have communication protocols which are difficult for other operating systems to accommodate when attempting to establish communications between the two operating systems. For example, Unix makes it difficult to have interoperability between a computer system using a Unix operating platform and a computer system using a Windows NT operating system. It is difficult to establish communications between the Unix system and the Windows NT system. The problem is most acute when the Unix system calls another computer having a different operating system such as the Windows NT operating system. Difficulties are also encountered when the Unix system is called by a Windows NT system. Some products provide interoperability between Unix and Windows NT. The disadvantage of such products is that the Unix calling system must be set up with communication scripts to communicate with the Windows NT operating system.
One such product available to provide communication between a computer using the Unix operating system and a computer using the Windows NT operating system is called Intel port arbiter. The Intel port arbiter requires the Unix login script to be modified so that the Windows NT system can recognize that a Unix system is calling so that the Windows NT system can invoke a Unix emulator. The difficulty with such a product is that the Unix operating system must be administered, in other words, the Unix system must be programmed beforehand what type of other operating system is being called.
Other products are available to provide interoperability between Windows NT and UNIX. Among the various products that are available from other companies are FTP servers and clients, TELNET servers and clients, and X Windows servers and clients, as well as NFS server and client software. The difficulty with such products is that the Unix system cannot communicate directly with a Windows NT operating system except through a third party server.
Due to the difficulty of Unix programming and the requirement for administration, a need exists in the art for an apparatus and method for enabling a Unix system to call a Windows NT system without the need for administration, meaning that the Unix system need not know beforehand what type of operating system the Unix system is calling. A further need exists in the art for an apparatus and method for enabling a Windows NT system to call a Unix system without the need for administration.